This invention relates to an alignment assembly and method. The invention is especially useful by brick masons and others in the construction industry when erecting vertically extending structures, such as foundation walls, chimney bases brick walls, brick steps, support piers, and the like. The alignment assembly is mounted near one end of the structure, and cooperates with a second, identical assembly mounted at an opposite end of the structure to maintain a true vertical surface as the structure is being erected.
According to one alignment technique of the prior art, several vertical corner poles are mounted at the corners and along the perimeter of a structure, such as a brick house, generally perpendicular to the supporting foundation. Guide lines extend between the corner poles to ensure that proper vertical leveling is achieved as the bricks are laid to form the corner edges and side walls of the house. The corner pole is held in a plumb condition by two or more anchoring legs. The legs are removably attached to the corner pole by complementary nuts and bolts, and generally have spiked ends for being driven into the ground surface. Precise mounting of the legs is critical to ensure proper alignment and location of the corner pole. Moreover, the separate anchoring legs and nuts and bolts must be securely stored together with the corner pole for proper assembly and mounting of the device.
According to another alignment technique, 2.times.4 wood segments are driven into the ground surface near the corners of the structure to be erected. The wood segments are vertically aligned using a standard leveling tool and a hammer. Generally, no separate anchoring members are used for holding the wood segment plumb. Thus, the segments must be accurately placed, and driven into the ground surface a sufficient distance to prevent slight movements and shifting during use. This technique generally provides an inferior measurement, and is time consuming and labor intensive.
The present invention overcomes many problems of prior art alignment devices by providing an assembly which includes a base for being mounted near one end of the structure to be aligned and an upright, such as a 2.times.4 wood segment. The upright is secured to the base using conventional C-clamps, and is laterally adjustable relative to the base after the base has been mounted. Thus, precise placement of the base is not required for achieving an accurate alignment. The base includes spaced-apart legs which prevent slight lateral movement or shifting of the upright which may cause inaccurate results. Moreover, the invention makes unnecessary the use of separate anchoring components which can be easily lost or misplaced.